| The Good |
|---|
| 12.1 Megapixel CCD, 5x Built-in Zoom, 720p Video. |
| The Bad |
| 5x Built-in Zoom, Lack of Options, Ugly, Short Battery Life. |
| Yay or Nay |
| For around $400, there are plenty of better options available. However, there is still a market for these cameras among certain people. |
Overview
The Canon Powershot SD970IS is an easy to use camera for someone looking for a simple camera that can take snapshots. The lack of options doesn’t seem to be a problem for most people who buy this camera, as they are looking for something more to just have fun with and not worry about. Nevertheless, for the same price, there are many other options available that make this camera look like a toy.
Snapshots
The 12.1 megapixel CCD is one of the main selling points of this camera. It offers the user the ability to take photographs that can be blown up, cropped and adjusted in other ways without losing much of the integrity of the original. However, it is not something that is all that uncommon, and can actually be found in just about any digital camera on the market today.
Canon could have done so much more with the SD970IS by putting just a little more effort into the design of the body and the addition of a few more features. The lack of continuous shooting capabilities above one frame per second leaves a lot to be desired from this camera. However, it is not all doom and gloom, as there are some very reasonable editing tools (most of which are used while taking the picture) that can create cool effects. One such tool allows the user to blur the edges of the person they are photographing so it looks as if they are glowing.
Video
The video recording capabilities on this camera aren’t too bad. With the ability to shoot video in 720p, it is a great feature to have available for those special moments when a larger camera may be too intrusive. However, there are drawbacks to using the video mode. Most notably, it’s impossible to use the zoom feature while recording, and lighting can become an issue.
Photo Quality and Extras
As a whole, the 12.1 megapixel CCD with the highest ISO speed of 1600 does offer some benefits to taking quality photographs. When all of the aspects are adjusted properly under the right conditions, it is possible to print a photo as a standard 3’x 5’ poster. If there are things that you’d like to add to a photo, the onboard editing tools can help you out, as well as using editing software after you upload your pictures to your computer.
White balance is one of the few options that Canon did include with this camera. It allows you to make adjustments to get the best possible end result out of your picture. Also, there are numerous color adjustment options that you can use to enhance your photographs, or simply to have fun with them. Unfortunately, these options and the 5x zoom are about all you get.
Downside
The most obvious downside to this camera is that there are many others in the $400 or less price range that offer more features, better ergonomics and higher quality pictures. Outside of that, the most looming defect would probably be the lack of options, and the inability to expand on what few options you have without uploading your pictures to a computer. To top it all off, the battery life only allows an estimated 270 pictures from fully charge to completely drained.
Conclusion
If you like the way this Canon looks and feels, and don’t mind the lack of options, then it isn’t a bad camera for light use. However, if you’re looking for something more than a “throw in your backpack and go hiking” camera, then you should probably start looking at other options. All in all, if the features were upgraded and it offered a higher resolution and better photo quality, this wouldn’t be a bad camera for the price.
